Detroit: Become Human

That’s the biggest issue with Detroit. Whether you’re playing as Connor, Kara or Markus – the latter of which forms the bulk of the central storyline, but is by far the least intriguing character in the game – the game only scratches the surface of the themes it explores.

Its big themes are glibly handled, though this is still Quantic Dream's most credible and satisfying interactive yarn by far.

Quick look.

Part of my frustration with Detroit is that I’ve spent the last several years watching other game developers make far better narrative-focused games, often with substantially fewer resources.

"Remember this is not just a story. This is our future," she says ominously...The aggrandizement of this statement sets the tone for the rest of the game, with its ham-fisted dialogue, questionable optics, and juvenile desperation to be taken as Serious Art About Social Commentary. It’s the first hint at how profoundly, confidently ignorant Quantic Dream is about how the future, history, society, oppression, and even human beings work.

It’s as if the creators are using the bondage of artificial intelligence to conceal subtext about institutional racism, while somehow missing that in the game they created, that subtext is, quite often, just the text. No one dares comment on how his race factors into a story that is explicitly about race. There’s no discussion of how impactful it is for a person of color to lead a monumental movement toward equality; instead, the humans tell us point-blank that “androids are not humans,” and that’s that.

But once the adrenaline has worn off, the hollowness sets in and you realize the game only told you the beautifully drawn, emotionally gripping story you expected, and wanted, to hear. It’s only in hindsight that you realize there’s very little soul staring out at you from behind Detroit’s pretty, almost-human eyes.

Is it just me, or are Quantic Dreams' games getting more and more boring with each subsequent release?... But boring, actually, on reflection, isn't quite enough to describe this. This is tedium. It's like they doubled down on the worst shit from the other games. And I had high hopes for this one.

Detroit is a beautiful game, one rendered with a level of visual care and detail that’s rare even in the lavish world of blockbuster video games. But all of that work feels wasted, tied to a story that, by the end, feels meaningless. In Detroit, androids can dream. But the game’s creators can’t seem to dream of anything new to say.

Detroit: Become Human is a gorgeous spectacle and Quantic Dream continues to build on its reputation for extraordinary world-building and stunning set-pieces, with improved controls and a more engaging story. But the way these observations are presented lack nuance, and the obvious comparisons to racial and religious persecution feel uncomfortable at times, with too much spoon-fed to the player. The overtly complex interactions and narrow focus of gameplay prevent players from coming to their own, organic conclusions and, in turn, hold “Detroit” back as simply a fantastic game when it could have been an unforgettable one.

The biggest crime a piece of media can make is to be boring and Detroit is as guilty as can be.